November 04, 2021
Karla Kelsey, professor of English and creative writing at Susquehanna University, will present the John C. Horn Lecture, Poets of the Archive, at 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17, in Isaacs Auditorium, Seibert Hall.
The event is free and open to the public.
Kelsey is a poet, editor and essayist whose creative work weaves together the lyric tradition of poetry with philosophy and history. She has published five books, including Blood Feather, published by Tupelo Press in 2020 and awarded the Sheila Margaret Motton Book Prize, and Knowledge, Forms, the Aviary, selected by Carolyn Forché for the 2005 Sawtooth Poetry Prize. From 2010-2017, Kelsey edited The Constant Critic, an online journal of poetry reviews. She currently co-publishes SplitLevel Texts, a press specializing in hybrid genre books.
Kelsey was the recipient of the 2019 John C. Horn Distinguished Service Award, given annually to a faculty member for outstanding scholarship and service who, in turn, presents a public lecture in recognition of the honor. The award was established in 1979 by the university’s Board of Trustees to honor the late John C. Horn, who served as board chair from 1962-1978.
Kelsey holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from The University of California, Los Angeles, a Master of Fine Arts in poetry from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and a doctorate in literary arts from the University of Denver. A faculty member at Susquehanna since 2005, Kelsey has been honored with grants and awards from the Poetry Society of America, the U.S. Fulbright Scholars Program and Yale University.